Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Torpes Castle, perched on a rocky spur 20 metres above Doubs, has its origins between the 13th and 15th centuries as a stronghold of Montferrand's sires. Integrated into a network of fortifications including Montferrand-le-Château and Thoraise, it was acquired in 1333 by Guillaume I of Thoraise, a key figure in the Anglo-bourguignon negotiations during the Hundred Years War. The 1492 fire, ordered by Maximilien in retaliation for the support of the chestnut Claude de Thoraise to Louis XI, marks the end of this feudal lineage.

In the 18th century, architect Joseph Galezot radically transformed the castle, erasing its medieval appearance to give it classical features. Traditionally, Voltaire, attracted by an idyllus with the Marquise du Châtelet, is a relative of the owners. After the Revolution, the estate passes into the hands of the Holy family, masters of forges, which still preserves it today. Medieval remains (kitchen, basements) are now alongside Louis XVI decorations, protected from 1949 and classified in 1992-1993.

The successive protections concern facades, roofs, the regular garden (ways, basin, fruit tree), the courtyard of honour and interior elements like an 18th century fireplace. The castle, still privately owned, illustrates the architectural evolution of a feudal fortress in aristocratic residence, while preserving traces of its 800 years of history. The archives also mention links with the house of Montferrand, a powerful family in Franche-Comté until the end of the Middle Ages.

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